Students and professionals in the social sciences consult the American Psychological Association style manual for formatting guidance for their research and other professional writing. As a student, your grade may depend on your ability to format your research papers exactly as the style manual requires. It's important to note that in APA style, first and middle names of authors are not spelled out; only initials are used.
APA Author Names
In your paper's references list, if the author's name is James Lyndon Smith, list the author's first, middle and last name as follows: Smith, J.L. If the publication has two authors, James Lyndon Smith and Terrance Miles Jones, list the authors' names as follows: Smith, J.L., & Jones, T.M. List three authors, James Lyndon Smith, Terrance Miles Jones and Susan Marie Adams like this: Smith, J.L., Jones, T.M., & Adams, S.M. Note the use of an ampersand instead of the word "and."
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